Extravagant chocolate recipes

Thursday

Jan 29, 2009 at 2:00 AM

To promote Sunday's Chocolate Extravaganza at Kennebunk Town Hall, and shamelessly preview our participation in it, the staff of the York County Coast Star offers their favorite chocolate recipes. Stop by our booth there and you'll probably see (and taste) many listed here.

To promote Sunday's Chocolate Extravaganza at Kennebunk Town Hall, and shamelessly preview our participation in it, the staff of the York County Coast Star offers their favorite chocolate recipes. Stop by our booth there and you'll probably see (and taste) many listed here.

This oh-so-simple recipe is always a crowd pleaser. The cheesecake is rich and chocolaty, offset by a cool layer of sour cream and a touch of unsweetened chocolate.

Crust

1/3 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. sugar

1 1/4 c. crushed Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Melt butter and mix with sugar and crushed wafers until blended. Press into the bottom of a large springform pan. Bake 6-8 minutes in at 300.

Filling

3 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 12-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

Sour cream

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate

Mix cream cheese until fluffy.

Gradually add sweetened condensed milk, beat until smooth.

Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.

Poor mixture into springform pan.

Bake 1 hour, 5 minutes, until center of cheesecake is set.

Cool and then chill for several hours in a refrigerator. Before serving top with a thin layer of sour cream, then drizzle with melted unsweetened chocolate.

— Kelly Morgan

A hint of spice gives these dark chocolate truffles a note of interest. Don't be scared off by the sea salt as it plays well with both the chipotle and the chocolate.

6 oz. good-quality dark chocolate

2 T. unsalted butter

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/2 t. smoked chipotle pepper powder

Truffle coating

1 T. Crisco shortening

6 oz. good-quality bittersweet chocolate

Smoked sea salt flakes

Melt the dark chocolate in heavy 2-quart saucepan over low heat or a double boiler. Remove from heat, stir in butter until melted. Stir in heavy cream. Stir in smoked chipotle powder.

Refrigerate pan of chocolate 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until chocolate becomes thick enough to spoon from the pan and roll into small balls. Place the balls on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Freeze 30 minutes.

While the centers freeze, heat shortening and bittersweet chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.

Dip truffle centers, one at a time, into chocolate, returning them to the parchment paper. Sprinkle the coated truffles lightly with the sea salt.

Refrigerate until coating is set.

* This method does not call for tempering the chocolate to prevent blooming, or the appearance of white streaks over days. It is best to serve the truffles within a day or so. The chocolates also may be frozen after dipping and then removed to warm to room temperature before serving.

— Kelly Morgan

¾ c baking cocoa

2/3 c sugar

2/3 c packed brown sugar

½ c nonfat dry milk powder

1/3 c instant coffee granules

3/4 t cinnamon

¼ t ground allspice

Makes 2¼ cups mix

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl; mix until powdery. Store in an airtight container.

To prepare the mocha drink: In a mug, stir 3 T. mix with 1 c. hot milk until blended. Garnish with a cinnamon stick if desired.

— Susan Kanak for Jim Kanak

These are by far the fudgiest, richest brownies we've ever had. My daughter Emily found the original recipe in a cookbook and adapted it and changed it to make it her own. She prefers the mint version. These brownies will be pretty gooey right out of the oven, so allow for an hour or more of cooling time before you cut them. Make the slices fairly small — a little of these brownies goes a long way!

8 T. butter, room temperature

4½ oz. semisweet chocolate (a good brand, like Ghirardelli's) *

4½ oz. bittersweet/dark chocolate (a good brand, like Ghirardelli's)

2 oz./squares unsweetened chocolate

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 large egg yolk at room temperature

1 c. sugar

2 t.. good vanilla extract

2/3 c. flour

½ tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch square pan.

Place the butter and all of the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for two minutes or until melted. Stir.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on low to medium speed until pale yellow (around 4 minutes). Add vanilla. Beat in chocolate a little at a time until fully incorporated.

Stir in flour and salt a little at a time, until everything is mixed.

Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes. Center will still be soft.

Enjoy!

* To make a mint version of the brownies, replace the semisweet chocolate with one regular-sized box of Andes Candies.

— Laura Dolce

Jim Kanak credits his wife for this one ... but he drinks it, and that's as good as any recommendation we need!

1/3 c. butter

2 c. sugar

13 oz. evaporated milk

1 c. marshmallow Fluff

2 13.-oz. chocolate bars

2 t. vanilla

Pinch of salt

Combine butter, sugar and milk in a saucepan and boil for five minutes over medium heat. Then add fluff, chips, vanilla and salt. Pour into a 13 by 9-inch pan and cool.

— Laura Snyder Smith

I know, I know. Chocolate is meant to be a splurge, but I'm a mom and can't pass up an easy recipe and an opportunity to get the greens in, as sly as it may be — because in this recipe you actually never taste the zucchini. The green stuff just makes it moist. You really can have your cake and eat it too!

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